A Letter From The President Of The Association Of Corporate Counsel Research Triangle Chapter

The Research Triangle Area Chapter of ACC North Carolina was started in 2004 by Brian Klemm, senior counsel and corporate compliance officer, SAS and Marvin Genzer, retired general counsel of EDO Corporation and assistant adjunct professor at NCCU. Today our chapter has nearly 300 members with one of the highest growth and retention rates in the country. Our members represent 127 different companies from Greensboro to Wilmington, North Carolina with the highest concentration of members located in the greater Research Triangle area.

For the calendar year 2012 we have held 12 lunch-and-learn programs with available CLE credits. Our typical attendance at these presentations has averaged approximately 50 participants. Each of the programs was free to all chapter members and we also invited all area law students and faculty at no charge. Last April, the chapter put on its first “Mini-MBA” program under the leadership of Ken Hammer, general counsel and chief administrative officer of DataFlux Corporation LLC. At this one-day seminar, speakers covered topics from finance to ethics and it attracted over 150 participants.

For the past two years, the chapter has sponsored a scholarship program available to all area law schools including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Campbell University, and Elon University. For each of these two years, the chapter has awarded five winners with a $1,000 tuition assistance check. Our chapter members also actively participate with the local law schools on various panel discussions involving the legal practice of in-house counsel.

This years’ social events include a family night at the Durham Bulls baseball park (July 20th); a family night with the Carolina Ballet (May 16th); and our annual Chapter Dinner (November 9th.) In April we will participate in an event with the Wake County Habitat for Humanity (April 28th) to build a house in southeast Raleigh. We are also planning a Pro Bono night to be announced.

In addition, we hold two social events open to our supporting law firms and legal services companies. The first is our annual Spring Reception at An Restaurant (May 2nd), and the second is our annual Fall Reception at Prestonwood Country Club (October 2nd.) Each of these strictly social gatherings features a two-hour open-bar and delicious hors d'oeuvres reception.

We are proud of what we have accomplished over the past seven years. Our success has been due in large part to our participating law firms and legal service providers who provide generous support for our programming and to the tireless efforts of our long-term treasurer, Marvin Genzer. We look forward to offering more value to all of our members as we continue to grow.